How do horizontal distance and the f3 debug relate?

[Starwhip]

Here we see something that has gone 1.8 kilometers horizontally, yet neither one nor the other (Ground distance covered, total distance covered) gives an accurate readout. Adding fails to get a result either.

How do you figure out how far the object has truly moved horizontally?

[Foxster]

Think we need some testing to figure this one out.

Thoughts: Might be an idea to try it modless? Does the payload or original launcher come apart and so its showing when the first part hit the ground? Is it going backwards and that's doing odd things to the numbers?

BTW...I seem to be getting the opposite to you. I get F3 to show a slightly higher ground distance covered than the screen shows as the distance to the target. I do "control from here" on the payload though - do you?

Edited March 14, 2015 by Foxster

[Foxster]

Here's something vaguely interesting...

This is from switching back to the launcher of my mass driver after getting a low distance F3 reading on my payload. The missing distance seems to be recorded on the driver which really moved 5m or so.

[Deutherius]

The pic in OP is from my submission to the Chunkin' Challenge, so I tried a few things. I think I got something. You can work out the distance from the f3 menu, but it's horribly inconsistent.

The launcher is bolted in place, so moving shouldn't be much of an issue. It wobbles a bit, but doesn't bend or go anywhere. Launch procedure used was just: full throttle, stage and switch to the now accelerating payload. Payload always exploded on impact, no bouncing was recorded.

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Conclusion - At first I thought the F3 menu divided the distance based on how many times your craft has "divided" (be it by decouplers or explosions) - That would explain the inconsistency on payload impact (based on the angle when hitting the ground - sometimes exploding all at once, sometimes hurling parts a little further). However, using a payload consisting of 1 part gave me the same funky results (and I've tried multiple times) - the launcher itself was still complete, nothing fell off or exploded there.

Anyway, based on my tests and my launcher design, the gound distance covered seems to be divided either by 2 (in one case), or by 4 (in a majority of cases). I wouldn't trust either.

Other than that, I have absolutely no idea what is going on.

[Starhawk]

I have looked at this a bit, and I'm not sure whether there is any rhyme or reason. I do know that 'Ground Distance Covered' is wildly inaccurate. It also seems to vary from one craft to another from what I have seen, or maybe even from one install to another.

This screenshot shows the F3 readout for a craft which has circumnavigated Kerbin twice.

I have also see screenshots from other players, which obviously showed a much larger distance for 'Ground Distance Covered' than what they actually traveled.

I don't know of any way to accurately measure distance traveled in the game.

Happy landings!

Edited March 14, 2015 by Starhawk

[Foxster]

I think the in-game distance to an object (the distance shown next to an object) seems to be accurate. At least it counts down in a reasonable way, reaching near-zero as you arrive.

F3 seems totally out of whack. The distance seems to get shared or divided or is just wrong.

So, best bet is, I think, to rely on the object marker distance. Of course, that won't account for surface curvature.